Tkanje, Ekologija, Poučavanje, Inkluzija, Harmonija

<< Background >>Both project partners, through their long-term work with people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses (PIDMI), have noticed the need for their training in simple vocational occupations adapted to their educational abilities. PIDMI have very few opportunities for education, finding employment and equal participation in society. Further education programs for them are almost non-existent, especially in small communities. We recognized weaving on a loom as a professional skill that our beneficiaries can master, which will increase their level of socialization, get the opportunity to work in a safe environment and acquire the necessary skills for independence, staying in the family and avoiding institutionalization. The beneficiaries should be more satisfied, more confident in themselves and strengthen their self-esteem and increase their chances of employment in the labor market. In this way, we contributed to the reduction of emotional and psychological problems that occur when they are not occupied with work tasks appropriate to their abilities. At the same time, they will be less dependent on their family and more prepared for some form of independent life when there are no longer any parents to take care of them.<< Objectives >>The overall goal of the project was to increase the employment opportunities of people with intellectual disabilities and mental illnesses (PIDMI) by increasing their social inclusion. We achieved everything we wanted:•To enable PIDMI to acquire new skills and knowledge in order to feel useful, more satisfied and less aggressive•To educate trainers to be qualified to educate PIDMI and work with them in order to increase their competitiveness in the labor market, and by introducing volunteers to the project to increase their visibility and motivation to get involved in the work of associations•To raise awareness of the public and the local community about the needs and opportunities of PIDMI, present them to potential employers, show the results of their work and thus make the public aware that PIDMI can be part of a contributing community, not just a burden and expense•To ensure that employees increase their competences for working with PIDMI, associations expand the scope of services, improve occupational therapy and achieve transnational cooperation•To take care of environmental protection and recycling in order to show that unique products can be created from recycled materials, while preserving traditional crafts<< Implementation >>Important project activities were training trainers to work with PIDMI on a loom and educating PIDMI to work on a loom.Through these activities we enabled people who didn't know or had little knowledge about weaving to learn to weave and through contact with PIDMI we connected with them, learned how to encourage them to work and work more independently.The connection was also achieved through joint participation in actions to collect old clothes,thereby protecting the environment and emphasizing the importance of recycling, socializing during the trainer's practice where we worked on preparation for weaving,preparation of the loom and all auxiliary tasks necessary for weaving.The training participants participated in the creation of a digital manual and video tutorials that provide an innovative approach to teaching PIDMI.In addition to these activities, we carried out project management activities, dissemination and public events that were important for the sustainability of the project, connecting and cooperating with partners and promoting the results and goals of the project.Weaving looms necessary for work were acquired, and public awareness of PIDMI's possibilities was raised by organizing exhibitions and round tables.<< Results >>Through the project,we established cooperation with two vocational schools that participated in the preparation of an informal training program for trainers, developed a training program for OMIT, acquired 2 large looms and 12 smaller table looms, educated 8 trainers in carpet weaving and working with OMIT on these jobs, together with 12 OMITs organized a total of 16 workshops at which 20 carpets for exhibitions and another 20 test carpets were woven, conducted 6 public actions to collect old clothes,held 2 round tables with employers, vocational schools, municipalities and city institutions, held 2 exhibitions of woven carpets, created 1 promotional brochure for the project, created 1 digital manual in Easy Language and 11 video tutorials on weaving jobs. Other results are:acquired over 350 kg of old clothes ,12 partner meetings organized, a poster about the project created, a Facebook page for the project opened, a digital manual for weaving jobs created, an introductory and final conference for the project organized,3 TV reports about the project recorded and published,2 radio shows, 1 radio announcement, 4 articles published in newspapers and 6 on portals, a total of 10 users occasionally participated in workshops with OMIT.